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Gayton Family History

Gayton Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places in Cheshire Norfolk Northamptonshire and Staffordshire called Gayton or from Gayton le Marsh or Gayton le Wold in Lincolnshire. The Northamptonshire and Staffordshire placenames are from an Old English personal name Gǣga + tūn ‘farmstead’; the others are from Old Norse geit ‘goat’ + tún ‘farmstead’. In some cases possibly also French: diminutive of Gayte a southern variant of guette ‘watch’ and hence an occupational name for a watchman.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Cayton, Payton, Guyton, Layton, Hayton, Gatton, Garton, Auton

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Where is the Gayton family from?

You can see how Gayton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gayton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gayton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 28 Gayton families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 35% of all the recorded Gayton's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Gayton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gayton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gayton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gayton. 67% of Gayton men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Gayton women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gayton were Laborer and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Gayton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Carpenter
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    50%
  • Clerk
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gayton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Gayton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gayton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gayton

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gayton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Gayton. For the veterans among your Gayton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gayton military records

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What is the average Gayton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Gayton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Gayton in 1944 was 56, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gayton

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